The Abandoned Empress

“The High Priest wants to see you, my lady,” said Lina.

It has been three days since I moved to the temporary palace for my security. With all smiles on her face, Lina was already wearing a uniform of the palace affairs office. I slowly opened my mouth, looking at the badge embroidered on the hem of her dress showing her affiliation with the office, “Okay. By the way, don’t you want to change your mind to be a maid with the Imperial Palace?”

“Oh my goodness! No, I don’t want to change my mind. You already asked me the same question ten times!”

“But you can’t serve me forever. I can take the measure to free you even now, so how about thinking twice about it?”

“Well, I like it now. Don’t you know how popular the job of an imperial maid is? Besides, I’m your direct maid, so don’t talk to me about it anymore. The High Priest is waiting for you now. Please hurry up!”

“Okay, got it. Wait a moment.”

I gathered silvery letters scattered on the table, then put them in the fireplace. When I saw the papers turning black in a red flame, I felt as if the nightmares associated with them turned into a handful of ashes.

Somehow my eyes blurred with tears, but I got up, leaving my sentimental feelings behind.

When I opened the door, I saw him standing with his gray hair hanging down to the floor, as usual.

“May the blessings of life be with you! It’s been a long time, Lady Monique.”

“It’s been a while, Your Eminence. How have you been? ”

“I was a little busy, but I managed to get by. I am almost done cleaning up the corruption at the temple, but I’ve still some work to do. By the way, congratulations! I think today is the last day I call you Lady Monique,” he said with a faint smile. When I nodded shyly, a bigger smile came to his lips.

“Okay. Let me pray blessings for you as a bride first. Praise the beauty given by the Father of life. I give you the blessings of our lord Vita. ”

When his hand shining white swept over my head, a sweet floral scent spread around me. I smiled, relishing in the refreshment that surrounded my body.

“You look much better now.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You always look tired and weary, but you look very good today. If your mother saw you now, she would be very happy.”

His transparent light green eyes were sparkling with something mysterious. His mysterious voice echoed in the air, “What a relief! Only now do I feel I have paid some of my debt to your mother.”

I tilted my head. What the heck is his debt to her? He said the same thing last time.

When I asked him carefully about it, he said readily, nodding his head, “When I was a child, there was a woman who came to Sanktus Vita. She prayed to heal her mother, and she looked very weak at first glance. At that time, the senior priests who were taking care of me told me that I shouldn’t use my divine power for anybody if they didn’t donate. So, I turned a blind eye to her, though I felt heartbroken because of that.”

“…”

“A few days later, the woman came back and spoke to me. She said her mother died because of me. As you may have always guessed, the woman was your mother. Her mother who died because she was not healed was your grandmother. ”

I see. Come to think of it, what the High Priest just said was similar to what my father told me before. My grandmother, the younger sister of Duke Jena, fell in love with a certain knight and fled at night, but soon faced reality, and after her husband died, she got sick while doing various chores. My mother who visited Duke Jena’s house in order to save her mother was kicked out rather than getting any help. As a result, my grandmother who didn’t get proper treatment eventually died. It seemed that the High Priest was also involved in their ill-fated relationship.

“Your mother hated me very much after that. That was part of the reason why I found her poisoned belatedly. I was forgiven later, but I always felt guilty. I felt even more so after you were poisoned.”

“…I see.”

“I was so happy when I heard that you finally overcame the aftereffects of the poisoning incident. Well, I felt I repaid some of my debt to you and your mother.”

When he finished speaking, he stared into the air with a pensive expression.

Was that the reason why he, claiming he was a sinner, gave me blessings and tried to do anything for me with a humble attitude? I thought he treated me kindly because of my middle name given by God’s prophecy, but there was another reason behind it.

If there had been any point of contact in the past like now, would the High Priest have continued to stay in the empire? If there had been an ambush by the noble faction or God’s prophecy at that time, he would have stayed in the empire because of his debt to my mother.

If so, Duke Jena could not have used poison, and he would have found the High Priest very uncomfortable because he could discover the existence of the poison.

“What are you thinking about so hard?”

“Oh, nothing. Your Eminence, can I ask you one thing? ”

When he nodded readily, I asked questions that I had been wondering about for a long time: namely, what is destiny, what is God’s will, and what is the meaning of the names given to me and Jiun. I have already made a conclusion on my own, but I thought the High Priest with the divine power could give me a different answer.

But he just smiled and said that I already seemed to have the answer, and that if I came up with the answer on my own, it would be the correct answer.

“Anyway, you have come up with your own answer to ease your concern, right?”

Then he continued with a faint smile, “But if you ask for my answer, I have nothing but to tell you that the process and results of your angst are the will of Vita.”

“Ah…”

I nodded with a little moan. It may be natural to the High Priest who regards everything as the will of Vita.

Suddenly, I realized that it was only after God, from whom I wanted to escape from so desperately, gave the name of Pioneer that I made up my mind to set my first foot on the long and difficult road.

Nevertheless, I don’t want to rely on God, but does it matter at all now? Right now I’ve come back to that road to stand here and now, when I am as happy as anybody.

When I smiled more comfortably than before, the High Priest said with a faint smile, “Oh, I’ve got something for you.”

“Pardon?”

“Please accept it. It is my gift for you.”

He took two small dolls out of his pocket and gave them to me.

“What is this?” I asked, looking at the dolls. They were made by attaching a piece of rugged cloth, which looked very clumsy and simple just like a child made.

“These are sent by Quartus. I hear that the children who got a new dwelling place thanks to your help made the dolls to show their gratitude.”

“Ah…”

Only then did I look closely at the dolls. One was a male doll with blue hair, and the other was a female doll with a crown on her head and something like a tiara.

I inadvertently reached out, but withdrew my hand. I’m grateful for their sincerity, but what I did for the children was just part of a strict deal.

“… I don’t think I deserve the gift.”

“No. You must accept it. ” Only

My eyes were wide open at his firm voice. It was the first time I heard him raising his voice.

But his hardened face softened in no time just like the bunch of flowers that appeared every time he prayed for me.

“Malice for malice and pure heart for pure heart. Just saying thank you to the children is enough for them. ”

“… Really?”

Then I accepted the pair of dolls that were presented to me. I couldn’t say they were beautiful because the children made the dolls with clumsy skills, but I held them in my arms with a bright smile.

“These are really pretty. Please convey them my gratitude.”

I sincerely thanked the golden High Priest Quartus, who must be somewhere with the children, hoping my gratitude could get through to him.